Why & How to Go to Stores that Allow Dogs – Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
What is Enrichment for Dogs? What Qualifies as Enrichment for Dogs in Glencoe, Highland Park, Winnetka and Surrounding Areas? Plus, Understanding Artificial and Natural Enrichment.
Artificial enrichment is when we set something up, such as objects, for a dog. Spring clean-up, when people put things they no longer want out on the curb for collection is one of my favorite times of year. As I drive around I find objects to pile into my car. One person’s garbage is a dog’s treasure. I fill my garage with objects and bring them into my fenced yard or home for my dog to check out, sniff around, if she likes. That’s artificial enrichment. I set it up for my dog.
Natural enrichment doesn’t necessarily mean we need to go to the forest, although that can be natural enrichment. Natural enrichment is when we come upon something. It’s another reason spring clean-up is one of my favorite times of year. When I walk with a dog and we come upon objects people have put out on the curb, that’s natural enrichment. I didn’t set anything up, it just happened to be there for my dog to check out, sniff around, if she likes.
What’s Not Enriching
Squeaky toys, flirt poles, laser pointers, and the like. Getting a dog to chase after something isn’t inherently enriching. Enrichment isn’t about getting a dog to “do” something, it’s about letting a dog BE. If you throw something, your dog has no option but to chase after. Fifty to sixty million years of DNA causes your dog to chase after things that move. Frankly, throwing a ball or anything for a dog to chase after, and the explosive straight line static repetitive motion, among other things, can cause a myriad of issues – but it does not qualify as enrichment. Enrichment isn’t about games or toys or anything you buy in a store. It’s not about training your dog nor having your dog learn things as many people think of learning. Enrichment is about letting a dog use their senses. Let them feel the ground they’re on, let them look, listen, and sniff. Enrichment costs nothing but time. Time well spent.
Things such as a licky mat, snuffle mat, and treat dispensing puzzles don’t provide enrichment, and may be more stress inducing than relieving. Licking peanut butter off a mat is licking peanut butter off a mat. Sliding levers to open lids on plastic trays to get a treat isn’t so enriching, and doesn’t replace natural sensory enrichment nor social engagement. If your dog needs someone to be with, be with your dog or find a dog sitter. Licky mats and food puzzles aren’t a replacement for these times. When a dog needs someone, they need some-one, not some-thing. Enrichment cannot occur if your dog is experiencing separation stress.
Ingredients for Enrichment
First, start with an environment that’s not too stressful for your dog. If the environment is too stressful, that’s not enriching.
Your dog should be well fed, hydrated, rested, and not having to hold their bladder or bowel. If your dog is hungry, thirsty, tired, having to go to the toilet, or lonely: that does not allow them to be aware of their other senses that provide enrichment. The five essentials (food, water, sleep, toilet, and social) need to be met for there to be enrichment. There needs to be enough shelter, indoors or out, for there to be enrichment.
There can be enough shelter outside, when the weather isn’t too extreme.
Natural enrichment can be found somewhere other than in nature. You don’t need to go to the forest, and it doesn’t need to take all day. Thirty minutes twice a day on a walk, if your dog is up for walking. If your dog isn’t up for walking, just BE outside. Be quiet, let them look, let them sniff, let them learn, let them experience something beyond the four walls of your home, beyond the fenced area of your yard. Use a good harness, a ten foot leash, and an environment that’s not too stressful. Maybe drive a few minutes in a car, if possible, to go somewhere. It doesn’t need to be anywhere in particular, just somewhere where your dog: looks at, listens to, and sniffs things. It can be sniffing the air, ground, or whatever.
Let them Be.
About the Author:
Lennox Armstrong is an International Dog Trainer School (IDTS) certified Dog Trainer, Calming Signals and Dog Behavior Specialist through the Nordic Education Centre for Ethical Dog Training. His primary professional focus is educating himself and others about how to take care of canines.